


Bathing

by raidspriestsandbabygoats



Series: Viking and Priest (Athelnar minifics) [5]
Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: M/M, Spying, slight power imbalance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-05
Updated: 2014-11-05
Packaged: 2018-02-24 06:39:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2571827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raidspriestsandbabygoats/pseuds/raidspriestsandbabygoats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the prompt: "First time Ragnar sees Athelstan naked, while bathing"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bathing

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written and posted on tumblr for starrose17 who provided the prompt.

If there was one fundamental part of life that Ragnar and Athelstan disagreed on, it was on the necessity of bathing. Frankly, Ragnar couldn’t understand how Athelstan could believe that one bath a month could be sufficient, and he also couldn’t believe how Athelstan ever expected to win arguments on such matters. More than once, their discussion had ended with Ragnar bending down and lifting Athelstan over his shoulder, carrying him down to the lake, and unceremoniously dropping him in the water.

Over time, Athelstan had learned it was easier to simply go down to the lake voluntarily (though with much grumbling), and Ragnar was constantly frustrated to see that Athelstan refused to bathe out of his clothes - frustrated because it completely defeated the purpose of bathing, so he told Athelstan. Athelstan never seemed entirely sure exactly why Ragnar always came to keep watch on him while he bathed, and even when Ragnar rolled his eyes and informed him that it was merely for his safety in case of bandits or a wolf attack he still seemed unsure.

One morning, Ragnar woke up and immediately went to check on his children and Athelstan, as was his daily custom. He frowned heavily when he saw Athelstan’s small bed lying empty - his priest wouldn’t run away, would he..? He got dressed as fast as he could and rushed outside, wondering if Athelstan had merely woken up before him and decided to start his chores early. He checked all around the farm, growing increasingly worried as Athelstan didn’t appear. He ran down the path away from the farm, panicking by now and only paused for breath when he reached the cliff.

As he bent over with his hands resting on his knees, a small movement in the water caught his eye and he stumbled over closer to the edge, kneeling down and peering at it. From where he was perched, he could just make out a shock of brown curls and his heart flipped in relief that Athelstan wasn’t hurt or running away - then his stomach flipped for an all together different reason when he caught sight of the brown sack Athelstan insisted on wearing lying on the shore, along with the white tunic that served as his nightshirt. Ragnar grinned to himself as he sat on the cliff, happily watching Athelstan swimming and bathing in the lake. It may have taken a while to reach this point, but Ragnar was certain it was most certainly worth it.


End file.
